Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-12
RED MEN AND MEDICINE.
THE BUSINESS OF SENDING OUT IN
DAMS TO ADVERTISE NoSTRUms.

Hogshesd--How the Travelling Msii-
cine Compani-. Are Gotten Ip-Ths
sourc. oj supply.
In coursry towns the fences, sheds and
barn dooas will bloom in the sprinx with
gaudy thirty-two sheet posters, represent
ing the kickapoo Indians preparing over
camp fires their wonderful herb medicines
that cure all ills and travelling troupes OF
fakirs will pitch their tents ON the greens
give free Wild West shows, lure the ailing
cuuntrymen and thus get them within
the reach Of the gifted lecturer who ex-
pounds the merits OF the nostrums. Prep
aratiOnS for the patent medicine campaign
are being made in the top story of build
ing in West street, and fellows glib Of
tongue are beiug hired 10 travel as takers
with the shows. Fifty separate KickapOo
companies are thus being fitted out, each
To consist of six genuine Indians, four
white performers or fakirs and one bill
poster, all under the management OF a
medicine lecturer. The outfit consists OF
a stage, dressing room, and doctor tents,
| Indian tepee>, boxes of fireworks, PAM
I phlets, circulars and books Of astounding
fiction about the wonderful medical dis
coveries of the kickapOOs, who are pic.
( tured in the act Of boiling herbs.
REMEDIES BY THE BoGsHEAD.
| In the loft of the big building a iabora-
/ tory is running full blast, burning out
I Kickapoo remedies by the hogshead, bu.
/ a the noble kickapoo Of the thirty two
sheet poster cannot stand New York
3 r..f. f,,, ~. 1.
/ pensed with, and the plain, ordinary
white men are boiling the herbs by steam.
In one corner of the loft couical canvas
tents are stretched by ropes from the
rafters. and u man walks about with Dot
of paint and big brush decorating them
with rude aboriginal art. These will be
Indian tepees, warranted genuine from
kickapooland Hanging from the walls
are camp kettles, small water casks
painted by the same artist who does the
tepees, highly colored posters, govern
ment blankets OF various hues toma-
hawks. head dress, scalping knives, etc,
and all around are piled boxes OF bottled
medicine, prepared by the white kicka.
pooS i'll the laboratory. In the manager 8
offices Indian curios are profusely scattered
around. Relics from the field Of the
Custer massacre necklaces Of grizzly
claws. Pawnee blankets, war clubs and
qulFers Of arrows are numerous, and the
walls are covered with colOred plates
showing the costumes of various Indian
tribes. There are photographs, too. of
people who are or have been on the road
With kickapoo companies-yOung men
with long hair and wide hats, doing the
scout act as Mountain Jims, Colorado
Charleys or Handsome Harrys; smooth
shaven gentlemen. wearing tall hats in |
one picture and burnt cork and hip fiap |
shoes in another; fakirs and minstrels OF |
all kinds
A small man sits at a desk and receives |
applications from lecturers, banjo players, |
sleight of hand men and tumblers ''We |
want men who know how to talk and |
manage n show" he says. "Our lectur- |
crs and doctors need not have diplomas. |
They don't practice medicine, hut lust |
talk up Indian remedies to the crowds II |
a countryman comes iii and says he is all |
ing, the doctor sells him bottle Of bit
tiers, ar liniment, or a box of salve, and |
tells him that is what he needs. Any |
man who has had experience in lecturin9
for shows will do. He can listen to one |
Of "ur men few times and pick up all |
there is necessary. We pay from tl5 to
$21a week and travelling expenses but no
board In the summer, when we camp
ont, the white people can club together
AMI live very cheaply.
THE SOURCE OF sUPPLY.
"The Indians have nothing to do but |
sing and dance. and that is fun for them.
Most of the time they lie around and
smoke. and they enjoy losflng. Where
do we get our Kickspooss Well, most Of
them are Pawnees from the reservation,
although we have few Sioux. We get
permission from the interior department
TO hire them, and the agent at the reser-
walton sends them 10 us. We are respon-
sible for them, and must send them back
whenever they want to 20 home, 1t gives
them chance 10 see civilized life. and IL
Is not very difficult TO get them. Once in
IA while Pawnee gets home sick, and
doesn't want 10 travel as u kickapoO with
the show, and then We have to pay his
fare back and lose money on him, but
generally they stay with us.
The business is good one, because
most people, country people particularly,
have notion that Indians must know the
secrets of nature, and can cure anything
with herbs. and they will buy Indian
medicines for that reason. We send
'lt pthusc lncN VIII |
draw crowds The performers give a free
show to keep the crowds. and then the
lecturers talk medicine to them" 1
The least important qualification Of
a kickaDoo Indian doctor evidently is
a knowledge of medicine. All he needs is
cheek. loquacity and some acquaintance
with the show business. II he has cult
waited long hair, and wears = sombrero,
his education is complete. Between
Buffalo Bill and the patent medicine men
the Indian problem seems likely to be
solved without expense to the government.
If good for nothing else, the noble savage
is first rate advertisement, and il makes
no difference to hitn whether he Is billed
as Cheyenne to sury the property hatches
or rs IA Kickapoo boiling weeds. So long
as he is not asked to work it Is ali the
same 10 him New York Sun